Depending on the size of your wall, you may need a permit if you are in the city limits, check with your local building officials.

Determine where your wall is going to be installed, using a hose or string laid out on the ground to get a visual idea what shape you want. If you are building an actual retaining wall, you will want to bury at least half of the first layer of stone. This will provide stability to your walls, and make them less susceptible to moving. Dig a trench wide enough to accommodate the width of the stone you are planning on using, and deep enough to allow for about 6-7” of base material and half the height of the stone.

Install a base material of crushed Limestone or a class 5 gravel approx 6” thick, and tamp it. Then install about an inch of sand on top, which will be used for leveling each stone. Place each stone in a row, tamping the stones into place with a dead blow hammer. After your first row of stone is in place, you should install a drain tile behind your wall. This will allow any water that get behind your wall to drain out. Water behind a wall is one of the most common reasons for a failed wall. Cover the draintile with a washed crushed rock for back fill. After each row of stone is installed, back fill using the crushed rock, and tamping it every layer, or every other layer. Cover the last 6-8” of backfill with topsoil. This will allow rainwater to run over your wall, instead of behind it.